Method of knitting



P 1953 P. L. ST. PIERRE 2,651,929

METHOD OF KNITTING Filed July 9, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 15, 1953 P. L. sT. PIERRE METHOD OF KNITTING 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 9, 1952 Sept. 15, 1953 P. L. ST. PIERRE 2,651,929

METHOD OF KNITTING Filed July 9, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 55 Patented Sept. 15, 1953 METHOD OF KNITTING Paul L. St. Pierre, Pawtucket, R. L, assignor to Hemphill Company, Pawtucket, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 9, 1952, Serial No. 297,914

4 Claims.

This is a continuation in part of U. S. patent application Serial No. 236,131, filed July 11, 1951, but now abandoned. The invention relates to an improvement in methods of knitting on independent needle, knitting machines of the cylinder and dial type. As is well known, such machines are capable of knitting rib fabric through the cooperation of dial and cylinder needles; and are also capable of transferring dial needle loops to cylinder needles after which knitting may be continued on dial and cylinder needles, or cylinder needles alone.

To effect the transfer of dial needle loops to cylinder needles, it is necessary that the cylinder needles, which are to receive the dial needle loops, be brought into contact with the dial needles so that they can be projected upwardly through the dial needle loops. This transfer of loops is an extremely delicate operation requiring the nicest adjustment of the machine parts involved, otherwise, drop stitches and other defects are sure to occur. This difiiculty is greatest in the finer gauges because of the extremely small size of the knitted loops and their narrowness. If the dial needle loops can be widened and made taut at the time of transfer so that the cylinder needles can pass through them more easily, the act of transferring can be made more positive. By the method of knitting of this invention, this is accomplished.

In the machine selected for the description of this invention:

Fig. 1 illustrates a part of a dial cap and part of a sinker cap;

Figs. 2 and 3 show a mechanism by which certain sinker cams are controlled; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of knitted fabric to assist in the understanding of the invention.

After the knitting of rib fabric has been completed as in the making of a 1 x 1 rib top for a stocking, one or more courses of plain fabric are knit on all of the cylinder needles, the rib loops last knit on the dial needles being retained thereon. Two courses of this plain fabric are shown as I and 2 in Fig. 4. One of the reasons for knitting these plain courses is to insure that the latches of those cylinder needles which have been idle during the knitting of the rib fabric will be open when transfer occurs, since there will be a loop of yarn in the hook of each which, as it passes from the hook to the shank when the needle is projected upwardly for transfer, will open the latch if it happens to be closed.

Thereafter, the dial needle loops are transferred to cylinder needles. As is well known, this is accomplished by projecting the dial needles outwardly by means of transfer cam 1 (Fig. 1) and by raising the cylinder needles so that they pass through the dial rib needle loops after which the dial needles are retracted so that their loops are left on the cylinder needles. Normally, the sinkers are used to hold the fabric down prior to transfer and are retracted before transfer by moving cam 8 into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 so that they no longer engage the fabric. For the purposes of this invention, this sinker movement is altered so that the sinkers are operative during transfer.

Specifically, at a point one or more needles ahead of that at which the dial needles reach their extreme projection, the sinkers are moved inwardly sufficiently to cause each sinker nib to pierce the fabric at a course prior to that of which the loops on the dial needles are a part. This is shown in Fig. 4 in which the nibs l3 of projected sinkers 5 and 6 are shown as penetrating the fabric of the dial rib course 3 knit prior to that course of the dial rib loops which are still held on the dial needles. One of these dial rib loops is shown at I4 in Fig. 4. The sinker nibs pass under the two plain knit courses which have moved upwardly a little because they had been released by the sinkers and because of the initial upward movement of the cylinder needles at the beginning of the transfer operation. In consequence, these plain knit courses are relieved of the great strain which, otherwise, would have been imposed upon them by the extreme fabric piercing projection of the sinkers. The piercing of the fabric by the sinkers just described will place a certain amount of tension upon the loops on the dial needles and will also expand them laterally so that the cylinder needles can pass through them more readily.

By this method, the transfer of dial loops to cylinder needles directly below the dial needles has been made commercially practicable. Heretofore, this type of transfer, on machines of the type equipped with dial needles as distinguished from bitts, has not been sufficiently reliable to be utilized commercially although its superiority has been recognized for many years. The shogged transfer, in which, by a movement of the dial in relation to the cylinder, the dial needles are caused to transfer their loops to needles other than those which are normally directly below them, has provided the necessary expanding of the dial loops to insure reliable transfer and has been considered the only reliable method. Although this method results in a satisfactory transfer, the direct transfer is better looking and considerably less complicated as a matter of machine operation.

A mechanism for accomplishing the fabric piercing projection of the sinkers is shown in Fig. 1 as consisting of a flopper cam 9 so positioned that its point lies radially a distance of one or more needles ahead of the point of extreme projection of the dial needles as indicated by the dial needle butt II. Consequently, the inward projection of the sinkers, because of which their nibs pierce the fabric as above described, occurs just before the cylinder needles v a circular, independent needle, knitting machine pass through the dial needleloops; This pointi of extreme sinker projection is indicated inlf'ig.

1 by sinker butt 52.

per cam 9 is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Attached to sinker cap i5 is a bracket in which a slide It is reciprocably mounted; This slide is attached to sinker camt. Slideifi is provided with astud ll which projects through .an seems-stormed by two L-shaped pieces i3 and [9 which are ad; justable in and out with respect to' the sinker'cap so that the limits of motion of slide it can beset asdesired. The outer end of slide [6 is .provided with a roller which is engageable by a pivoted lever 2! which may be operated .by any desired means. As shown in Fig, 2, lever 2| has been swung left so that slide i5 and, consequently, cam 8 have been withdrawn. against the tension of spring 22 to its outer position.

Also, surroundingroller 28 upon slide it is a forked end 23 of a rocker. 24, theother end of which engages a roller 25 on arm 26 of flopper cam .9. In the position shown in Fig. 2, flopper cam S has been swung inwardly by rocker 2d against the tension of spring 2'! on, another arm 23 of the flopper cam. In short, the mechanism described operates'to move cam 8 'andjcam 9 in opposite directions so .that,.when fiopper cam 9 is in its inward position, cam S will be out and Vice versa. Thus cam 8 causes the'sinkers whose nibs are riding over the'knitted fabric and holding it down to be withdrawn, and cam 9 projects these sinkers inward again. The fabric which is released by the sinker withdrawal tends to rise and, when the sinkers are projected again, their nibs pass under it and engage the rib fabric, and put the loops on the dial needles under tension as well as expanding them.

I claim:

1. A method of knitting fabric on circular, independent needle, knitting machines having dial needles and cylinder needles which comprises knitting a plurality of courses on cylinder needles in some wales and dial needles in other wales, then knitting one or more courses on cylinder needles in all wales while holding on said dial which comprises knitting a plurality of courses of fabric on cylinder needles in some wales and on dial needles in other wales, then knitting one or more courses on cylinder needles in all wales while holding on said dial needles the loops to be transferred, projecting said dial needles outwardly so as to put said loops into the path of upward projection of the cylinder needles to which they are to be transferred, holding said loops extended and taut by means of sinker nibs projected against loops of said fabric knitted in a course prior to the course currently on the cylinder needles, raising the cylinder needles to enter .said loops to be transferred, and withdrawing said dial needles to complete said transfer.

3. A method of transferring loops of knitted fabric from dial needles to cylinder needles on a circular, independent needle, knitting machine which includes holding said loops extended and taut during said transfer by projecting sinker nibs into said fabric to engage loops thereof in a course knit previously to the course containing said first mentioned loops.

4. A method of transferring on a knitting machine loops of knitted fabric from a first set of needles to a second set of needles which comprises knitting some wales of a plurality of courses offabric .on said first set, knitting one or more additional courses on needles of said second set to which said loops of said first set are to be transferred, while holding on said first set the loops to be transferred, stretching said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,641,101 Scott Aug. 30, 1927 2,178,317 Wigley Oct. 31, 1939 St. Pierre Jan. 27, 1953 

